1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hinge comprising a textile which connects a first part and a second part to one another.
2. The Prior Art
Such hinges in which, for example, a flexible woven fabric is used instead of a pin connection are particularly favourable in manufacture when the textile can be incorporated into at least one of the parts to be connected in a hinge-like manner during the manufacture thereof.
One area of application for a textile hinge is the manufacture of airbag flaps. Here the folded airbag is located behind the flap. The flap is incorporated in a cladding with a circumferential predetermined breaking point. As the air sack of the airbag unfolds, this predetermined breaking point is forced open. A hinge on one side of the flap on the one hand allows opening of the flap so that the airbag can pass through the opening and on the other hand this hinge ensures that the flap opens in a controlled manner and contact of the flap with other objects or the passenger is avoided. The flap can be held here by a hinge or a retaining cable.
The Unexamined Laid-Open Patent Application DE 198 34 384 discloses an instrument panel which is held by means of a catch strap, where this provides a loose surface region in the rest position of the airbag flap which holds the airbag flap in the off position.
An instrument panel having a surface hinge is disclosed in DE 10 2004 010 643 A1, where the hinge has an overlength which prevents the unfolding airbag flap from springing back. The overlength is designed as a loop and is fastened with an additional element.
DE 10 2007 055 016 B3 discloses a cladding part with airbag cover and a method for its manufacture. Here the hinge is fastened and embedded with overlength on a web formed in the airbag flap.
The patent specification DE 44 37 773 C1 discloses the connection of a flap hinge to an airbag flap, where the hinge is pressed into the reinforcing plate.
DE 199 35 625 A1 discloses a reinforcing structure comprising a fibre fabric in which twisted, plied or looped fibres are used. A woven fabric, netting or knitted fabric thus formed allows a greater elongation according to the invention so that an undesirable cracking of the fibre fabric is prevented.
The patent specification DE 103 45 026 B4 discloses an inner cladding part with an insert as hinge, where the insert is configured so that during an opening impact of the airbag, a certain amount of energy is absorbed so that the insert becomes detached from the intermediate layer. The insert is designed as a spacer knitted fabric, preferably as a thread knitted fabric.
DE 10 2008 011 519 A1 discloses a textile flat fabric having an initial weakening for tearing open, where the further tearing force of the textile surface structure is lower in a preferential direction than in all the other directions.
DE 10 2007 035 073 A1 describes a hinge for an airbag flap which is designed as knitted or crocheted fabric and has a plurality of inlaid or standing yarns which are arranged at an angle of at least 15° to the hinge-side edges of the airbag flap. It is considered to be advantageous in this invention that during breaking out of the airbag flap, the translatory motion of the flap is converted in a damped manner into a rotatory motion whereby the knitted fabric threads, preferably made of polyester, have a lower strength than the inlaid or standing yarns. Since the knitted fabric thread breaks at an elongation of about 40%, the flap is held by the high-strength standing threads which extend perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hinge.
Textile surfaces structures have proved advantageous compared with hinges made of metal. These are lighter and form no risk for the occupants in the case of failure. A disadvantage in designs in which the overlength of the textile surface structure is designed as a loop has proved to be that the textile surface structure cannot be fed in an automated fashion into the injection mould of the cladding part.
It has also been found to be disadvantageous in the mesh fabrics used that the warp or weft threads can be released from the injection moulded parts with relatively low force and then result in component failure. The mesh structures are therefore mostly designed as leno fabrics and additionally strengthened by means of an application. In addition, these designs are usually not only overmoulded with the polymer of the cladding part and the airbag flap but are expensively fastened by means of additional elements such as screws or rivets to the cladding part and the airbag flap.